Process of ozonifying.



Q. S. BRADLEY. PROCESS FOR OZONIPYING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1910.

Patented 001.15,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

TIEjL/i W1 TNESSES:

C Alfomey j" Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

3 SHEBTS SHEET 2,

G. S. BRADLEY.

PROCESS FOR OZONIFYING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1910.

I1 Hon nus,

' wil'ue-ooea G. S. BRADLEY.

PROCESS FOR OZONIFYING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1910.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

(n ucukoz 1 1 to: use:

UNITED STAT I ATE rrio.

cHAR nss. BRADLEY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T RICHARD B. WILSON, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

rnocnss ron OZONIFYING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

Original application filed October 29, 1906, Serial No. 341,120. Dividedand this application filed August 6, 1910. Serial No. 575,987.

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that I, CHARLES S. BRADLEY, acitizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processesfor Ozonifying, of

which the following is a specification.

My present application is a division of my application entitled Processand apparatus for ozonifying, Serial No. 341120, filed October 29th,1906.

My invention relates to the production of ozone, and is especiallyconcerned with an improved process for converting oxygen into ozone.

Experiments made by me have led me to believe that the conversion ofoxygen into ozone is a surface action; that is, the conversion takesplaces at the surface of the plates confining the space in which the gasis treated, and is due to the impact of bombardment of the chargedmolecule against the surface. Any means for increasing the bombardmentwill therefore induce an increased efficiency. This increase inbombardment may be accomplished by placing the confining plates closertogether than heretofore, so that the charged molecule has less distanceto travel' Furthermore the velocity of the molecule may be increased byreducing the pressure of the gas which is treated, and the bombardmentin this way increased. Another method of increasing the velocity of themolecule and consequently the bombardment is to employ a higherelect-romotive force. When this electromotive force is increased,however, the current density tends to increase, and since increasedcurrent density brings increased heat which impairs the efficiency as iswell known, the dielectric sheets must be made thicker to permit thehigher electromotive force to be used without lowering the efficiency. Astill further consideration which must be borne in mind in theconstruction of ozonifying apparatus is, that the rise in temperaturedue to the treatment of the gas must be prevented or kept within acomparatively low range. For the purpose of preventing as far aspossible the detrimental rise in temperature, it is well to make theelectrodes of such thickness that perforations may be made in themthrough which air or other cooling medium may be forced or permitted tocirculate so as to cool the electrodes.

In accordance with the observations made in my experiments, I haveconstructed an ozonifying apparatus to carr 1 out my process, theprinciples of which may be seen from the accompanying drawings, inwhich,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus constructed inaccordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is a top plan of the same, Fig. 3is a central vertical section thereof, Fig. 4 is a perspective view ofone of the dielectric sheets in position, between the spacing stripshereinafter referred to,

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the disposiare preferably of aluminium,and of suflicientthickness to permit of vertical perforations 11 throughwhich cooling air may be allowed or forced to pass. The dielectrics arepreferably in the form of sheets of mica 12, which may be substantiallythe same length and height as the electrode plates 10. Spacing strips 13(see especially Figs. 4 and 5) inclose the upper andlower edges of thedielectric sheets 12, and are held between the electrode plates 10. Thespacing strips 13 are also preferably of mica and are extended somedistance beyond the upper and lower edges of the electrodes, as clearlyshown in Fig. 5, to prevent sparks from jumping around the dielectricfrom one electrode over to the other. I prefer to use mica for thedielectric sheets and spacing strips rather than glass, for the reasonthat it is less apt to become fractured and may stand a much higherstrain when the elements of the ozonifier are drawn tightly together, inthe manner hereinafter described. It will be seen that narrow ozonifyingspaces It closed above and below but open at the two ends are formedbetween each pair of electrodes and the dielectric sheet. The electrodeplate is therefore not protected from ,the oxidizing effect of theozone, and it is for this reason that I prefer to make the electrode ofaluminium since this metal is not attacked by ozone. In thisconstruction it will be seen that four surfaces are present in thespaces between each pair of electrodes, two electrode surfaces and twodielectric surfaces. There is thus a much greater bombardment area thanin forms of ozonifying apparatus in which the electrodes are securedupon the outer surfaces of the dielectrics and bombardment can only takeplace between the two surfaces of the dielectric sheets. A furtheradvantage in making the electrode plates 10 of considerable thickness isto enable me to secure corner blocks of insulating material, preferablyof fiber, (Fig. 6) to their corners for securing the inlet and outletfunnels, at the ends of the ozonifying spaces l t. As shown in Fig. 1,the corner blocks 15 are secured to the beveled corners of electrodeplates 10 by screws 16 countersunk in the corner blocks 15, the cornerblocks being of the same thickness as the electrode plates 10, thusfitting between the projecting pairs of spacing strips 13.

For the purpose of clamping together the elements of the apparatus, Iprovide clamping plates 17 of insulating material, preferably fiber, andbolt these together diagonally across the outer electrode plates byinsulating bolts 18 also preferably of fiber. On each end of theapparatus I then place suitable inlet and outlet funnels or hoods 19each in communication with one end of the ozonifying spaces abovereferred to. These funnels are so formed as to permit of airtightconnection being made withthe projecting ends of the corner blocks, sothat there is then a tight passageway from the supply pipe into theinlet funnel through the ozonifying spaces and out by the outlet funnel.

Binding posts 20 and 21 of anysuitable form may be secured to the outerelectrodes for connecting the electric conductors 22 and 23 to theapparatus. The series of electrodes and dielectrics thus forms aplurality of condensers in series, in each of which a pair of ozonifyingspaces 1a is provided for the passage of air or other gas to be treated.The number of electrode plates may of course be varied to suit theparticular condition under which the apparatus is to be operated.

In order to obtain the desired reduction in pressure in the gas which isin the ozonifying spaces let, I insert a suitable engine in the inletfunnel or hood l9 and in the outlet funnel or hood 19 I provide asuitable form of air pump. This portion of the apparatus is illustratedin Fig. 7. Referring to said figure it will be seen that in the inletfunnel 19-an engine Ql is placed. In the outlet funnel 19 is then placedthe air pump 27. The engine 24 and pump 27 may be of any suitable formbut preferably in the,

form shown, which comprises a 'pair of revolving blades 28 and 29operating in a casing 30. Any suitable form of driving mechanism may beemployed to actuate the air pump,. and the engine which is driven byatmospheric pressure is made of smaller capacity and suitably connectedwith the pump so as to have the same velocity and thus the reduction ofpressure is obtained.

\Vhile I have shown specific details and described a specific form ofthe apparatus, this form has been shown and described merely as anexample of my invention, and not as an indication of the full scope ofthe same. Various details of construction may be modified to suit theconditions of operation.

In constructing the apparatus, the Omnifying spaces should have as smalla volume with respect to the electrode surface as the conditions ofoperation will permit, or in other words, the electrodes should be atthe minimum permissible distance apart and thus leave a space havingminimum crossscction and volume. In this way the electromotive forceused can be materially reduced without lowering the yield and thus theefliciency increased.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

The process of ozonifying, which comprises efiecting an ozonifyingelectric discharge in a gas at a pressure materially below atmospheric;whereby the impedance to the travel of the charged particles of the gasis diminished.

CHARLES S. BRADLEY.

Witnesses HARRY E. KNIGHT, M. G. CRAWFORD.

